Alpha Zero (Alpha LitRPG Book 1)

by Arthur Stone

  So where was it?!

  I felt a pang of worry.

  A breaker shot up right in front of me. Emerging from behind it, the enormous fish smashed into the tree log dead-on, jaws wide open. Upon impact, it fell back clumsily into its natural element and began to slowly sink, motionless.

  It’s stunned, came the realization. The fish must have deemed the dry tree the culprit in its predicament, failing to see the tackle linking to the snag to which I was hanging on for dear life. And now it was dazed.

  How long would its condition last? That wasn’t clear. But it was a chance.

  Wasting no time, I pushed off the log and hurried toward the shore. What do you know? I can swim! And not all that badly! It took longer than anticipated to reach the bottom, however. It wasn’t until I was mere feet away from Beko that my feet found ground.

  Once ashore, I began to hastily reel in the cord. The process was going quickly at first, as I was aiming for speed at the expense of neatness. The cord could form into a Gordian knot for all I cared, as long as I got the desired result, meaning the fish. The tackle could always be crafted anew.

  There was enough wild leek on the pebbled beach to catch all of the river’s kote.

  The cord grew taut again, making reeling difficult. Though the fish looked to weigh maybe thirty-five pounds, my arms insisted that the true weight was two hundred, at least.

  The physical and mental fatigue was starting to get to me, as my hands started trembling. Still, I kept pulling and pulling while gasping for air and ignoring the burning sensation on my palms from the frayed cord.

  Why would they call this river black when the water was crystal clear? The long ominous shadow creeping up on me gave me a start. It looked entirely too much like a crocodile stalking its prey.

  The kote was still dazed, but that tail movement... It seemed to sway from more than just the current and my pulling efforts. Gathering whatever strength I had left, I held on to the cord with my left hand and reached into my pocket with the right.

  Bloody hell! Where is it? The damned knife must have slipped out of my shallow pocket while the enraged fish dragged me across the river.

  I turned to Beko, who was still standing there. His eyes were no longer round—they were bulging out of his sockets in defiance of physics.

  “Give me your knife!” I yelled.

  “It’s mine!” the ghoul replied fearfully.

  “I said give it!!!” I bellowed so loudly that even the stunned kote jerked in response. Beko started, cowering for a moment, then rushed toward me.

  Snatching the knife from him, I strained even harder to pull the fish’s head to the surface. It was starting to recover, and it wouldn’t be long until it took me on another jet ski adventure across Blackriver.

  With a furious yelp, I brought down my right hand, burying the flint point into its head. The fish twisted violently, causing one of my feet to slip, but even as I fell into the water, I kept bashing its head again and again. I was lucky that the kote was still disoriented, its movements sluggish and thoughtless. It was merely delaying the inevitable rather than impeding me directly.

  The second blow that struck the wound caused by the first made a crunching sound. The fish spasmed, throwing me on my back, but that was the end of its resistance. Only the tail kept quivering lightly—other bodily movements ceased being challenging to control.

  I had reached the brain, it would appear.

  But I wasn’t done yet. Pulling out the knife, I drove it back into the same wound, pressing as hard as I could. Then, grabbing the kote by the gill cover, I started dragging the prey ashore, but barely made it to the water line. Struggling to stay on my feet, I wheezed in a voice I no longer recognized.

  “Pickaxe...”

  Almost on autopilot, my grip closed on the proffered weapon’s wooden handle. The next moment, the stone beak smashed into the fish’s head.

  And again.

  And again for good measure.

  The fourth blow wedged the pickaxe deep enough that I could no longer pull it out. It took all my remaining strength to drag the carcass ashore by the weapon’s handle and the cord, dumping it halfway on the pebbled beach, halfway in the water.

  My feet buckled and I collapsed on my back, panting as I stared mindlessly at the clear sky—the perfect backdrop for taking in the long list of rewards ORDER was sending my way.

  You have caught a kote using an unknown method. You have dealt significant damage to the kote. You have dealt fatal damage to the kote. The kote is dead. You have defeated the kote (4th Degree of Enlightenment).

  You receive:

  Unknown Method

  Superior Symbol of Chi x3

  Superior Universal Attribute Embodiment x1

  Superior Standard Talent Mark x1

  Superior Personal State Embodiment, Enhanced Enlightenment x1

  Superior Standard Universal State x1

  Kote Defeated!

  Lesser Symbol of Chi x26

  Personal Attribute Embodiment, Agility x4

  Personal Attribute Embodiment, Stamina x7

  Personal Attribute Embodiment, Strength x2

  Lesser Standard Attribute Mark x1

  Talent Mark, Scent of Blood x1

  Talent Mark, Detect Poison x1

  Talent Mark, Detect Traps x1

  Lesser Standard Talent Mark x11

  Personal Talent Mark, Angler x1

  You have crafted an unknown item. You have used an unknown item. You have successfully used an unknown item. Achievement unlocked: unknown item.

  Crafting an Unknown Item

  Lesser Symbol of Chi x7

  Personal Attribute Embodiment, Agility x1

  Personal Talent Mark, Novice Jeweler x1

  Successful Use of an Unknown Item

  Greater Standard Talent Mark x1

  Greater Standard Universal State x1

  Discovery of an Unknown Item

  Superior Symbol of Chi x3

  Superior Universal Attribute Embodiment x1

  Superior Standard Talent Mark x2

  Superior State Embodiment, Equilibrium x1

  Superior Standard Universal State x2

  Superior Standard Attribute Mark x2

  You may now name the unknown item

  That was a lot of words. More words by an order of magnitude than I had seen from the Order since the day I had regained Rock’s inner sight.

  But I wasn’t reading or studying any numbers. I simply lay there, waiting for my breath and my thoughts to stabilize. It wasn’t until Beko finally stopped his mad dashing between me and the kote and started dragging the fish ashore that I began to take stock of what had happened.

  Scanning the numbers as I gasped for breath for entirely different reasons, I said wearily.

  “Beko, do you know who we are?”

  “I know who you are!” Beko jabbered excitedly. “You’re a madman. A full-on psycho!”

  “You’re wrong. Well, you’re not entirely wrong. There’s some of that, too. But no. We are winners, Beko. We have won.”

  You have given a name to the unknown item: spoonbait.

  You have named a new item. You receive:

  Superior Standard Talent Mark x3

  So not only was I a winner, but also a pioneer.

  I had discovered a previously unknown item.

  Unknown in Rock, at least.

  A simple spoonbait.

  I may have had a ways to go to Christopher Columbus, but ORDER had apparently deemed the feat worthy just the same.

  Chapter 18

  A Mountain of Riches

  No Stat Changes

  Hugo squatted over the bloodied, sand-covered kote carcass. He stuck his fingers in the hole left by the pickaxe, poked around in there for some reason, then turned to Ash.

  “I haven’t seen a kote this large since last year, the one Hegero had shot from Hawkstone. It was a clean headshot, lucky the beast didn’t drown right away. Our fishermen very rarely catch them. What the
hell did you do, lads? Did you use that thing to kill it?” the hulk gestured at the pickaxe in Beko’s hand.

  “We did,” I replied. “Why, is that bad?”

  “That was stupid of you. You let out the brain. Kote brain makes a quality spice.”

  “We didn’t know. Nobody told us about the brain.”

  “Well, now you know.”

  With a shrug, I made a pointed observation.

  “We won’t be able to recover the brain now. Please accept our apologies.”

  “Brain, liver, roe. All these are spices,” Hugo informed us graciously. “And the scales make good chicken feed. Makes them lay larger eggs.”

  As he said this, Hugo turned toward Romris and two other fishermen who were barely teenagers. All three were huddled up under their awning, staring at the enormous kote with bulging eyes. The combined efforts of me and Beko had been sufficient merely to drag it to the spot, where we had been met by the top brass, already informed by onlookers that something unimaginable was happening down on the beach.

  The fishermen dropped their eyes under management’s scrutinizing gaze. Hugo smirked.

  “And what is your haul for the day? Same as always, I bet?”

  “Well, uh, you can’t really use dragnet these days,” Satat offered the excuse weakly. “The kote scared away all the fish from the shallows, and the water is pretty cold.”

  “Here is your kote,” Hugo pointed at the dead fish. “And your dragnet was put to good use just last night. It caught a few Carps, fat and juicy. Now take a good look at these boys and their haul as compared to yours. They can hardly believe it themselves, but they did it.”

  Hugo was dead on about the disbelieving part. I still didn’t fully comprehend how it could have happened. This kote was like a living torpedo—strong enough to sink battleships. OK, maybe that was an exaggeration, but still. It was nearly my height, and weighed at least forty-five pounds, if not sixty-five.

  A pity there wasn’t a scale around to commemorate the trophy.

  Catching Ash’s gaze on me, I tried to assume a most imperturbable demeanor. It probably looked comical from the side, but I had to try to look serious if I wanted to be taken seriously.

  Gesturing at the fish, I spoke with as much bombast as I could muster.

  “We said that we would catch a kote, and we did. Now can we forget about last night’s incident?”

  “I am not in favor of forgetting such things,” Ash said in an ominous tone. “When things are forgotten, they tend to repeat themselves. And I don’t want you engaging in such antics again. Pranks can be fun and all... But sometimes they can end badly. For all involved. Do I make myself clear?”

  I nodded. “Crystal clear. But I was actually referring to something else.”

  “I know exactly what you were referring to, boy. You must be putting your attribute marks into your silver tongue, smooth-talker that you are. My word is stronger than the stones upon which this fort was built. If I said that you’re free, then you’re free. And you may take your haul. Or you may not. I’m giving you a choice.”

  Ash’s stare changed from heavy to assessing. And it was me he was assessing.

  Was he putting me up on the market or something?

  “What choice would that be?”

  “You can take your fish and do with it what you please. Nobody’s going to force you to clean latrines. Or you can leave the fish for the fort. Our miners will be happy to dine on fried kote tonight—they don’t get it too often. And we can make good use of the spices from its liver. If you leave the fish, you’re not going to get anything for it. You will get porridge for dinner. But the Shiteaters will be pardoned, so they won’t need to clean out the cesspits as their punishment. Now decide who the fish belongs to: you or us?”

  “The fish is yours,” I said without hesitation.

  At those words, Beko stumbled, as if having been whacked on the head with a club, and mumbled something under his breath. Of all the things he’d said, the only distinct sound was “mine,” uttered through bitter tears.

  Was it my imagination or did I see approval flicker in Ash’s eyes?

  The fort commander gave a steady nod.

  “That was the right choice. The rightest choice. I told myself that if you make this choice, I will make you a good offer in return. Though I should give you a good thrashing, I think you can be of use to the fort. So I will give your team the cellar in the corner depot. Ore used to be stored there—before we moved the furnace. It’s dry and warm, much better than your barn. And you’ll be fed breakfast and dinner. Porridge, bread and butter, cured meats, broth and fried squash from the garden. You’ll eat the same as the miners, hunters and other workers. In exchange, each day you will deliver one basket of kote meat. Standard size, but full. Just the meat. The fort will pay you separately for the liver and brain. And scales. That will be fair. All of our procurers of spices get paid. And you can keep the excess meat to do with as you please.”

  Recalling the size of the basket from yesterday, I slowly shook my head.

  “Master Ash, your offer is very generous, but kote are unpredictable creatures. Today we caught enough to fill three baskets, but tomorrow and the day after we might not catch any.”

  “A fair point,” Ash agreed. “But on the days you get a lot of meat, you can turn in two or even three baskets. There are two of you, and the basket isn’t so large. If you put your minds to it, the basket will always be full. You will become people of the fort, and not some wretched drifters. Which means you will wear the fort’s badges. Here, hang them around your necks. Now others will know that you’re untouchable. Anyone who messes with you, messes with the Blackriver fort. And anyone who messes with the Blackriver fort gets their skull bashed in.”

  Beko, who had been on the brink of fainting the entire time since my fallacious reply to Ash as to the fate of today’s haul, suddenly perked up, and was now looking at me with near endearment. Of course, he had to be ecstatic about securing protection from the Carps.

  “And if we don’t hold up our end of the deal?” I asked.

  “Then you will return to your barn. And I will be very displeased with you. Now, this fish,” Ash motioned toward the kote carcass, “will be counted as three days’ quota. Today you’ve managed to surprise and entertain me. So I don’t begrudge you everything you’re getting in return. But on the fourth day, you will need to bring in a new haul. Otherwise, you know what’s going to happen. You’re right: each day is different, and no one can guarantee a haul. So we can wait several days. But no more than that, so don’t drag it out.”

  * * *

  Watching a couple of burly guards whisk away our haul, tied to a pole with the very same wild leek, Beko let out a sob.

  “We had a big fish. Now we have no fish at all.”

  “Aren’t you happy to get a new home and two meals a day?”

  “Right now, I’m ready to eat myself.”

  “Speaking of, what time do miners get their dinner?”

  “They end their shift after sunset. But dinner is served earlier than that.”

  “How much earlier?”

  “Not much.”

  “Not for a while, then,” I deduced, looking up at the sun.

  “We’ll need to chew leek again,” Beko sighed. “It’s bitter. I’m so sick of it.”

  I shook my head with a grimace.

  “No, we’re not going to chew that filth today. We’re going to buy decent food from Guppy.”

  “You’ve got something to pay with?”

  “Sure do. I said we’re going to buy, not steal, right? Come on.”

  * * *

  Guppy wasn’t at his post, the door to his shop closed shut. We decided not to look for the grumpy trader, opting instead for some downtime in the tavern. There, a couple of minor chi symbols bought us a king’s feast: each got a portion of yesterday’s wild boar stew, a hunk of bread, a large chunk of cheese, a couple of small slices of lard, a bundle of deer jerky sticks and even a
thin slice of honey cake.

  I hadn’t planned on making it rain, but my empty belly overruled my prudence. Gluttony took over—I wanted everything they had here, and then some. I was ready to eat in one sitting more than I used to eat in a week.

  The floodgates had opened.

  The sight of all this magnificence caused Beko, who had been subsisting on stale porridge and bitter wild leek, to lose the function of his vocal apparatus. The ghoul ate in silence, unable to utter so much as a word. I didn’t feel like talking, either. Chewing each bite unhurriedly, I was taking the time to look within and conduct some of the most complex calculations I’d ever done in my life.